Coupler



Jan. 22, 1935,. H. K. sMl'rH COUPLER lFiled April 3, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l Jan. 22, 1935. H. K. sMlTH 1,989,027

COUPLEH Filed April 3, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I. l/ f Patented Jan. 22, 1935 Harold K. Smith, Oak Park, Ill.,assignor to The" Gould Coupler Company, New corporation of Maryland Appucation April 3, 1931,' serial No.fw527,5n312 3 claims. (o1. 21a-151)I This invention relates to couplers, and more particularly to automatic railway vehicle cou-V plers so constructed that theknuckle of a connected coupler will not be liable to catch in the throat opening. The principal object of my invention, generally considered, is to provide an automatic railway vehicle coupler with portions of the knuckle and/or throat opening so'bevelled that increased vertical angularity with respectto a connected coupler is permitted, while at the same time-the liability of 'a corner of the knuckle of a connected coupler catching in the throat opening of the coupler'head is obviated.

Another object of my invention is to provide an automatic railway vehicle coupler, the knuckle of which has its buffing face reduced,- as com-v pared with its pulling face, by the provision of bevelled portions at the upper and lower en ds thereof to obviate the knuckle catching in the throat opening of thev associated coupler head when associated couplers are subjected to relative vertical angling and/or movement. y

A further object of my invention is to Iso construct the coupler head and associated knuckle comprising an vautomatic railway vehicle coupler that the catching of the. knuckle in the throat opening of an associated or connected coupler is obviated, while at the same time provision is made for increased vertical angling between such connected couplers. ,l

Other objects and advantages of the invention relating to the particular arrangement and construction of the various partswill become l.lapparent as the description proceeds.

Referring to the drawings illustratingl my invention, the scope whereof is defined by the appended claimsz- Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan of connected couplers embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view on the line 2-2 of Figure l, looking in the direction of the arrows, and showing the connected couplers after being subjected to relative vertical angling.

Figure 3 is a side elevationalview of one of the knuckles detached from its associated head.

Figure 4 is a plan of the knuckle shown in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a plan of connected couplers corresponding to Figure 1, but showing portions in horizontal section and illustrating a modification.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary front elevation of a coupler head illustrating the embodiment of Figure 5 more in detail.

, Figure 7 yis a transverse sectional view on the line 7-7 of Figurerylooking in the direction of the arrows, v a ,y

Referring to the drawings in detail, like parts being designated by like; reference characters, and rst consideringuthe embodiment of my invention illustrated inFigures 1 to 4, inclusive, there is shown in1Figures land 2 a vpair of connected or mated ycouplersl and 2, each involving a head 3 andl aknuckle 4 pivotally connected to said head by means of a normally vertical pivot pin5. Each ofthe knuckles 4 comprises a tail and lugs portion, as is usual, and the lugs portion has straight or normally verticalrpulling faces 6 extending the full height ofthe knuckle. The builing faces 7 of thefknuckles-4, r.orlugs `portions thereof are ,normallyv vertical'at their interme-` diate portions, withtheir upperand lower portions bevelled or sloped upwardlyand rearwardly,- as indicated-at 8 `a1'1 d,.9, whereby the normal bufng faces arevv of less height than the pulling faces. The bevelled portions 8 and 9 `preferably extend from va ,point vnear the knuckle pin-` hole 11, continuing aroimd theA buillng face` to nearthe vpoi nt, 4pf` the knuckle,as,indicated at 12. The bevelledA portions 8and 9 preferably def. fine acute exterior angles with respect lto Vthe bufng face 7.,1said'bufling face,`when the rcouplerjis'lockeibeing preferably parallel vto Vthe buiiing face 16 rof the head, andthe width of the horizontal i projection of the -v beveled `portions preferably being less than the normal clearance provided between the bufling face 16 of the head andy'l of a mated` knuckle, as shown mostclearly inFgurel. ,n .1 'q

Figure 2 shows how` this bevellingacts to prevent the knuckle ofonencouplerhanging up onA the other when the associated railway vehicles are taken overtrack of vertical curvature, vor whengone -vehicle is-moved and angled vertically with respect to the other. The bevel? ling 8 and 9, itwill beseen, slightly increases the permissible verticalangling between the couplers,` While atfthe same-time it prevents the upper or lower edge, of the bufling face of the knuckle 4 fromcatching. in the throat opening 13 of an associated head,or catching orhanging on the upper buinng wall 14, or thelower bufling wall 154 defining the throat opening 13when the associated coupler moves downwardly or yupwardly, as the case may be, and angles with respect thereto. Figure 2vshows the coupler 1 raised, as compared` with the coupler 2, and ,angled downwardly4 or clockwise yabout its connection with said couplerv2,illustrating howthe bevel 9 prevents the knuckle 4 from catching on the lower bufling wall 15 forming part of the buliing face 16 of the head 3 of the coupler 2.

At the present time, 9" knuckles are generally used, but, under certain conditions, 11" knuckles are used. It is contemplated to eventually make the 11l knuckles standard in order to reduce the number of slipfovers, that is, one knuckle slipping over the knuckle of a connected coupler under heavy pull and permitting the train to part, especially when one coupler is higher than the other, due to vertical curvature or irregularity in the track. The 11 knuckle would reduce the possible vertical angularity of the couplers and would, therefore, not be satisfactory without a bevel such as previously described. The angle of bevelling, as Ashown most clearly in Figure 2, preferably corresponds approximately with the permissible vertical angling between connected couplers, being desirably slightly greater, te therebyavoid engagement between vthe upper orloweriedgesof the bevelled portions 8 and 9 and the head of the connected coupler.v vIt will also ibe funderstood that-when displaced to a greater extent vertically so as to permit greater angular displacement, the corner of the knuckleL would thenbe liable to catch in the throat opening unless vbevelled as previously described.; By` bevelling'the buinng faces of the knuckleonly, the aforeementioned ldiiiiculties are obviated, and at'- the ysame time by making the pull-ing faces straight or without a bevelpslip-overs are less apt to take place."

Owing to the large Vincrease in hump yards throughoutthe-country, and dumping machines which result in vertical anglingf'of' the couplers, and owing to the fact'that integral vstrikingv castings are generallyprovided which materially limit thel vertical clearancebetween ycoupler shank and top wall of the casting, and also to the integrality of thevcasting which vminimizes springing of the parts, face damage to couplers is `becoming more prevalent, and cracked knuckles are being constantly replaced, the cracking of the knuckles and damage to the faces being due to thef'cramping action between the coupler knuckles 'when the couplers' are subjected to vertical angling. rAlll these conditions have brought about the lnecessityof permitting vertical angling of the couplers toa greater'extent than now permissible, and at the same time obtaining the greater benefits; of the `knucklesfof increased vertical Aheight to? prevent `slipovers between light and loaded cars or cars-under con-- ditions in which the couplers are out of' alignment during train operation. s

' Referring n ow to the-embodiment of my in-v vention illustrated in Figures '5, 6 and 7,'a construction is there disclosed in which the throat opening 13e is deflnedby bufilng vvalls'lei.a and 15a of the coupler 'head' having bevelled edges around said throat opening13,'as indicated at 17 and 18. This bevelling'avoids the danger of the knuckle "of anassociated coupler catching in the throat opening in' a similar way -as when the knuckle is bevelled, such'a knuckle 4tal being diagrammatically indicated in Figure 7 in angled position, showing how the bevelling 18l tends to obviate catching on the lower builing wall 15a comprising part of the buillng face 16a of the coupler heada. v y

' The bevelling of the throat opening maybe alternative or additional to the 'bevalling of the knuckle, as described in'connection with the previous embodiment. Said -bevelling may also be applied to a coupler head in which the bufling face is reinforced, as shown most clearly in Figure '7, the reinforced face being designated by the full line 16a and the position of the standard or normal face being designated by the dot-dash line 1Gb. It will be seen that by bevelling the portions of the reinforced face 16a adjacent the throat opening to a position corresponding with the normal position of such bufling face, a construction is eifected with the advantages of the reinforced face, while avoiding the disadvantages of such reinforced face, which would minimize vertical angling between associated couplers, as Well as decreasing the danger of the knuckle of an associated coupler catching in the throat opening. It will also be understood that such bevelling of the .throat opening may, if desired, be' applied to a coupler head in which the buing face is normally disposed, or unprovided with reinforcement such as shown in Figure 7.

From the foregoing, it' will be seen that I have devised an improved coupler which. minimizes the danger 'of catching between a knuckle and the bufling faces of an associated coupler head in the throat opening of such head, while at the same time not sacricing any of the advantages of the usual coupler construction. Although the knuckle and/or head has been shown as chamfered or beveled straightl and forming an acute exterior angle with the associated bufllng face greater than, but approximating, the permitted angularity between the couplers, I do not wish to be limited to this showing as, if desired, the buflng face or faces-may be formed with a chamfer or bevel not straight and on a different angle, but of such a character as to produce the desired eiect.

Y Although preferred embodiments of my inventionhave been disclosed, it will be understood that modiiications may be made within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

1. A railway vehicle coupler having a head member and a knuckle member pivotally mountedthereon, said knuckle member being formed with a lugs portion and a tail, said lugs portion of the knuckle member having a puffing face normally extending vertically and said head member being formed with a builing face normally extending vertically, the bufl'lng face of said head member being formed with an opening for receiving the tail of the knuckle member, and'beveled faces at top and bottom of said opening each of which forms an acute exterior angle with said bufing vface of the head.

2. Al railway vehicle coupler comprising head and knuckle members movably connected, said head member having a portion providing a buffing face and formed with an opening for receiving a portion of the knuckle member, the buning face portions of said head member, immediately above and below said opening, being inclined with respect to said buingface and forming acute exterior angles` therewith.

3. A railway vehicle coupler comprising head and knuckle members movably connected, said head member having a portion providing a buffing face and formed with an opening for receiving a portion of the knuckle member, the buing faceportion of said head member, vertically adjacent said opening, being inclined with respect to said bufng face and forming an acute exterior angle therewith.

HAROLD K. SMITH. v 

